MPO inquires about lighting along University

EAST COUNTY — As a mailman who works the midnight shift, Ronnie Snyder Jr. knows how to operate in the dark.

“I love nights,” said Snyder, whose delivery route takes him along University Parkway.

And, because of his work, Snyder has a keen sense of his surroundings and notices things others might not — such as the limited lighting along University Parkway from Interstate 75 west to Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.

For the past year, Snyder has attended daytime board meetings of the Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization, encouraging the counties to pursue funding for more streetlights west of I-75, along University Parkway.

At its latest meeting March 24, after Snyder spoke up again, the board directed MPO staff to contact the Florida Department of Transportation about finding a funding source for additional lighting.

“Everyone agrees lights would be wonderful along there,” said Mike Howe, MPO director. “The bottom line is finding a pot of money to do it.”

Currently, University Parkway has streetlights at most — if not all — major intersections, staff from Sarasota and Manatee counties say, but the roadway lacks lighting in the areas in between.

In contrast, State Road 70 and State Road 64 — both FDOT-owned roads — in Manatee County, and Clark Road and Bee Ridge Road, in Sarasota County, have streetlights along the roadway between major intersections.

Sage Kamiya, the Manatee County deputy director of traffic management, says determining a need for street lights is tricky because of the dificulty measuring the main variable lighting should address: safety.

A few months ago, after the MPO asked FDOT about lighting along University Parkway, the state transportation agency directed Sarasota and Manatee counties to study crash data to determine the safety need.

Kamiya determined the number of crashes did not warrant street lighting, based on FDOT criteria, which looked only at vehicle crashes. Consequently, the counties would not be eligible for FDOT funds dedicated specifically to safety projects.

“We did not look at it from a public safety or pedestrian perspective,” Kamiya said. “Some law enforcement data says increasing lighting decreases crime. Other factors need consideration.”

Although the study was not thorough, Kamiya questions the need for additional streetlights, considering the expense of the project — and the inconclusive data that exist about its impact.
Manatee County did not include lighting along University Parkway on its annual transportation project priority list.

“My personal opinion on street lights is that there is some subjectivity there,” Kamiya said. “There is not a lot of empirical evidence that says if you add street lights, you reduce crashes.”

Kamiya says the counties may have access to other FDOT accounts, such as the SIS connector fund (Strategic Intermodal System) — money dedicated to major roads that connect to an interstate.

Other state money is available for enhancement projects.

“It’s kind of limited, like everything,” Kamiya said. “Different buckets of funds can be used for different things. It’s up to the MPO to determine how they want to prioritize this with other requests.”

Snyder hopes it becomes a top priority.

“I will stay on it,” Snyder said. “I don’t give up.”

Contact Josh Siegel at [email protected].